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Stendahl Syndrome?
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Topic: Stendahl Syndrome?

JJH

Oscar® Winner

saw this today at a CD store today.can someone shed some light on the movie, and Morricone's music?
NP -- Taras Bulba, Franz Waxpaperposted 12-27-2000 08:44 PM PT (US) 
Lou Goldberg

Oscar® Winner

The Stendahl Syndrome is a recent film by Dario Argento, director of Suspiria and Bird With The Crystal Plummage that Morricone scored in the 60s.The film stars Argento's daughter Asia. She suffers from the above syndrome, first brought to prominance because the author Stendahl suffered from it, where seeing artworks can jolt you into an altered state of consciousness akin to having an anxiety attack or being stoned.
Those sequences in the film use CGI technology to make paintings come to life as Asia sees them in a museum. Unfortunately, that's about as inventive as the film gets.
The rest of it is Asia being tortured in various ways. At one point she kisses someone who has a rasor blade in his mouth and cuts her lip and she bleeds---yuck! this isn't a date movie folks.
Although I do not have the CD, I didn't think the score was bad at all. Less atonal than other earlier Morricone horror scores, nowhere near as syrupy as recent stuff like The Starmaker et. al.
I hope that helps you out JJH.
posted 12-27-2000 09:33 PM PT (US) 
majestyx

Oscar® Winner

I've gotta agree with Lou on the film. It wasn't much to speak of, and this is coming from a horror-film fanatic. Much of Argento's recent work hasn't done much for me, such as his Phantom of the Opera which was also scored by Morricone.The score itself though is worth a listen, but then I like most of Morricone's work, including the atonal stuff. I listened to the score before seeing the movie and I guess I expected more from the movie based on the score. Good suspense/horror music which belonged in a better film.
posted 12-28-2000 08:06 AM PT (US) 
OHMSS76

Oscar® Winner

This was the last hurrah from Argento if you ask me, another fellow horror nut.
His work has been going downhill since OPERA, and hit rock bottom with PHANTOM.
That has a nice score by Morricone, but STENDHAL is something else....very atonal and disturbing score.
The passacaglia will be in your head for ever, so prepare to be stuck with it if you buy the album!
STENDHAL was the last film that showed any previous glimmer of Argento's talent....now all he cares about is making cinematic passes at his daughter.
Lots of cool vocalizations on the CD though, ala' Morricone/Argento's early collaborations.Best,
Seanposted 12-28-2000 10:20 AM PT (US) Old Infopop Software by UBB
